As Venezuela Prepares to Vote, Some Fear an End to Democracy

[j-mac]

One by one, the markers of Venezuela’s democracy have been pushed aside.First, the Supreme Court was packed with loyalists of the president, and several opposition lawmakers were blocked from taking their seats. Then, judges overturned laws that the president opposed, and elections for governors around the country were suddenly suspended.
Next, the court ruled in favor of dissolving the legislature entirely, a move that provoked such an outcry in Venezuela and abroad that the decision was soon reversed.
Now, President Nicolás Maduro is pushing a radical plan to consolidate his leftist movement’s grip over the nation: He is creating a political body with the power to rewrite the country’s Constitution and reshuffle — or dismantle — any branch of government seen as disloyal.
The new body, called a constituent assembly, is expected to grant virtually unlimited authority to the country’s leftists.
[FONT=georgia, times new roman, times, serif]Venezuelans are going to the polls on Sunday to weigh in on the plan. But they will not have the option of rejecting it, even though some polls show that large majorities oppose the assembly’s creation. Instead, voters will be asked only to pick the assembly’s delegates, choosing from a list of stalwarts of Mr. Maduro’s political movement.[/FONT]The new assembly will rule above all other governmental powers — technically even the president — with the kind of unchecked authority not seen since the juntas that haunted Latin American countries in decades past.

[FONT=georgia, times new roman, times, serif]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/world/americas/venezuela-nicolas-maduro-constituent-assembly.html[/FONT]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

 

[rocket88]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

It sounds like the agenda of the alt-right - shut down dissent and keep the opposition from voting.

 

[j-mac]

It sounds like the agenda of the alt-right - shut down dissent and keep the opposition from voting.

Hardly, this is a far left socialist agenda taking place right in front of your eyes....Leftists in this country like Sean Penn, and Harry Belafonte praise what is going on there, and politicians like Elizabeth Warren envision those policies for this country, and are praised by average progressives like yourself for doing such.....So, If you have something relevant to say on the matter please do so, otherwise your posts are meaningless.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Hmm... an election to choose which group of government approved socialists can rewrite the nation's constitution. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[fmw]

There hasn't been any democracy in Venezuela for more than a decade. It's sanction time.

 

[Verax]

Breaking News: Authoritarian Socialism is terrible.

 

[rocket88]

Hardly, this is a far left socialist agenda taking place right in front of your eyes....Leftists in this country like Sean Penn, and Harry Belafonte praise what is going on there, and politicians like Elizabeth Warren envision those policies for this country, and are praised by average progressives like yourself for doing such.....So, If you have something relevant to say on the matter please do so, otherwise your posts are meaningless.

I did say something relevant. You just don't like it. Big difference.

Since when does anybody(except you, apoarently) listen to Harry Belafonte's political opinion. Speaking of irrelevant...

 

[rocket88]

Breaking News: Authoritarian Socialism is terrible.

Don't you get it though? This is what Democrats want in America. Not just Dems, anybody who disagrees with St. Don the Holy!

 

[countryboy]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

Ummm, I hate to break it to 'em, but they lost their democracy a long time ago.

 

[rocket88]

Ummm, I hate to break it to 'em, but they lost their democracy a long time ago.

They did. And it's slipping farther away. I'm sure Trump has a great plan. Tremendous. Bigly.

I'm sure he'll get right on it after he releases his fantastic health pkan, destroys ISIS in 30 days, and removes Russia from the Crimean peninsula.

 

[countryboy]

They did. And it's slipping farther away. I'm sure Trump has a great plan. Tremendous. Bigly.

I'm sure he'll get right on it after he releases his fantastic health pkan, destroys ISIS in 30 days, and removes Russia from the Crimean peninsula.

Please refer to my signature. Thank you, that is all.

 

[radcen]

There hasn't been any democracy in Venezuela for more than a decade. It's sanction time.

That was my first thought, as well. Just reading the title, before I even came into the thread.

 

[radcen]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

Power corrupts, and it never seems to be enough.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

The transition wasnt slow, it happened immediately after the coup. The exact moment that Hugo Chavez became the esteemed ruler of Venezuela democracy died there. All of the elections (including the one that got Chavez in office) were just for show.

 

[rocket88]

Please refer to my signature. Thank you, that is all.

Ah, so nothing....whatever

 

[j-mac]

Power corrupts, and it never seems to be enough.

Ain't that the truth! I am saddened for the people stuck in Venezuela though.

 

[radcen]

The transition wasnt slow, it happened immediately after the coup. The exact moment that Hugo Chavez became the esteemed ruler of Venezuela democracy died there. All of the elections (including the one that got Chavez in office) were just for show.

It was going steadily downhill under Chavez, but yeah, after he died it just went into freefall.

 

[JANFU]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

It ain't socialism, it is pure corruption and a massive power grab.

 

[j-mac]

It ain't socialism, it is pure corruption and a massive power grab.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Socialist_Party_of_Venezuela

 

[Phys251]

We have a real time witness to how Socialism ends freedom in a country....How anyone can look at what has happened to Venezuela since the institution of more and more socialist policy, and rule, and how it has drifted toward authoritarian rule, as most Socialist countries track to, and say that Venezuela has prospered from this change in their government is beyond me....Thoughts.

Hardly, this is a far left socialist agenda taking place right in front of your eyes....Leftists in this country like Sean Penn, and Harry Belafonte praise what is going on there, and politicians like Elizabeth Warren envision those policies for this country, and are praised by average progressives like yourself for doing such.....So, If you have something relevant to say on the matter please do so, otherwise your posts are meaningless.

Venezuela is on the brink of becoming a full-fledged authoritarian regime. Once a nation goes there, whether it's a right-wing or left-wing authoritarian state doesn't really matter.

 

[Nap]

Venezuela is on the brink of becoming a full-fledged authoritarian regime. Once a nation goes there, whether it's a right-wing or left-wing authoritarian state doesn't really matter.

Sadly, we have people blindly voting for nothing but Left wing and Right wing authoritarians in this country. Hopefully I am dead and gone before it hits here but it is the obvious track this country is on.

 

[Oborosen]

It sounds like the agenda of the alt-right - shut down dissent and keep the opposition from voting.

Hardly, this is a far left socialist agenda taking place right in front of your eyes....Leftists in this country like Sean Penn, and Harry Belafonte praise what is going on there, and politicians like Elizabeth Warren envision those policies for this country, and are praised by average progressives like yourself for doing such.....So, If you have something relevant to say on the matter please do so, otherwise your posts are meaningless.

Okay bye. (click)

Sorry, just got a call from my friend Adoub in Kuwait.

She heard someone get verbally slapped, and wanted to see if they were okay.. :lamo

 

[Oborosen]

Breaking News: Authoritarian Socialism is terrible.

In other news.

Water is wet, and fire is hot.

 

[RetiredUSN]

They did. And it's slipping farther away. I'm sure Trump has a great plan. Tremendous. Bigly.

I'm sure he'll get right on it after he releases his fantastic health pkan, destroys ISIS in 30 days, and removes Russia from the Crimean peninsula.

Trumps's wrong about a lot of things my friend, but he had nothing to do with Venezuela.

 

[j-mac]

Venezuela is on the brink of becoming a full-fledged authoritarian regime. Once a nation goes there, whether it's a right-wing or left-wing authoritarian state doesn't really matter.

But it is a real time look into what some of the ideas that some even here in office on the far left would do to a country.